2023 Youth Events
MONTHLY NEWSLETTERS
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SPRING CALENDAR
The youth activities calendar is shown at left. Additional events are being planned. For more information or details contact Pastor Mickey. JUNIOR HIGH AGE TRIP - June 26-29, 2023 This year the Junior High students went to Indianapolis from June 26-29th. We partnered with Shepherd Community Center to help them meet the needs in their community as they attempt to alleviate poverty on the near East side of Indianapolis. They seek to love their neighbors and help them in a variety of ways. We partnered with them to present Christian worship and educational opportunities to 125 youngsters aged 6 to 12. In addition, we provided daycare and after care activities and monitoring for the students. In the evenings, we participated in group devotionals and had fun activities around downtown Indianapolis. HIGH SCHOOL AGE TRIP - June 3-9, 2023 The Senior High Firestarters did a week of missions and ministry at Niagra Falls this year. This was Saturday June 3rd to June 9th. The mission was to serve in an urban environment with a variety of works and community service projects. Our 2023 youth group mission trip went to Niagara Falls, New York where we spent a week with YouthWorks. Seven youth and three adults served Jesus in this well-known tourist destination. The community once thrived on manufacturing and chemical industries, but with off-shoring of jobs, their economy has struggled for the past four decades. En route, we overnighted and worshiped at Glenwood Methodist Church in Erie, Pennsylvania. In Niagara Falls, we met, ate, and slept at two Catholic schools. Forty-two persons from youth groups from Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Minnesota joined together for service, worship, fellowship, and recreation. We participated in several service projects which included food pantries, meal preparation and service, homeless shelter volunteers, Salvation Army cleanup, and helping senior citizens. During free time, we enjoyed the beauty and power of the falls. We love getting soaked on the Cave of the Winds Tour and the Maid of the Mist. The students and adults loved the experience. Not only did they impact the Niagara Falls community, the people they served impacted them–and so did Jesus. They look forward to opportunities to serve Jesus in our own area and enthusiastically plan for the summer 2024 trip. Well done good and faithful servants! | ||||||||||
2018-19 Youth Events
WIDEWATER - May 12, 2019 - On May 12th, a few students headed out to Widewater to help them build a new disc golf course. We loaded up cement, water, and the new holes they were hoping to install into a gator and headed to the fields. During our time in the afternoon, we were able to dig, align, and cement all 9 holes for their course. This was a great way to help a camp that does so much for our community! Hopefully this 9 hole course will be used in many years to come.
FOOD BANK - March 3, 2019 - The Jr. and Sr. High youth went to EnPuzzlement, a food bank in Millbury, and spent the afternoon learning about their ministry and then serving alongside them. We had 17 students and 3 adults that worked on various projects they needed help with. Our 2 main projects were to sort massive amounts of Fruit Loops and Cheez Its into bags that could be used. And when I say massive, I mean massive. The bags of Fruit Loops were 800 pounds and were about 10 feet tall while the box of Cheez Its was at least 5 feet tall, wide, and long. Our group formed an assembly line and portioned them into smaller bags that could be used by individual families. This organization is totally run by volunteers, so we were able to help them out a lot. We also had a crew that helped sort through boxes and organize their extra storage area. Our group loved serving there, and many are talking about going back to serve on their own!
COLLEGE AGE TRIP - January 2-5, 2019 - From January 2-5, 2019, a group of 10 people ages 18-25 went from Liberty Chapel to Louisville, KY for the CROSS conference. This conference was put on by David Platt and focused on our call to take the Gospel to all nations. In our 4 days we spent most of our time hearing from great speakers as they walked through the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. Obviously they didn't cover everything, but focused on how God's plan of redeeming his people from every tribe, nation, and tongue is present throughout all of scripture. We learned a lot from the different speakers and had a great time hanging out and experiencing a new city. All of the sessions, as well as a recap video, can be found at crossforthenations.org.
DECEMBER EVENTS - On December 2nd our youth went to the Lutheran Home to spend time with the senior citizens. On December 12th we went Christmas Caroling to the homes of senior citizens in our congregation. On December 19th we had a Christmas party! We had a ton of fun as over 30 students played reverse charades, the saran wrap ball game, and more! Many students brought their friends and they got to clearly hear the Gospel, some possibly for the first time! On December 21st, we had our 4th annual Senior High lock in. We had a lip sync contest and stayed up all night playing games. It was a blast for those who were able to make it, and we even had some alumni come back to join us for a few hours and to share about following Christ in college!
WORK DAY - In September the youth spent a day at Camp Widewater working. They reorganized an entire shed, cleaned a whole garden, and built most of a green house!
FALL KICKOFF EVENT - On August 30, 2018 we had our youth kickoff event. We played 9 Square in the air and slip n slide kickball. This was a great way to kick off our year!
FOOD BANK - March 3, 2019 - The Jr. and Sr. High youth went to EnPuzzlement, a food bank in Millbury, and spent the afternoon learning about their ministry and then serving alongside them. We had 17 students and 3 adults that worked on various projects they needed help with. Our 2 main projects were to sort massive amounts of Fruit Loops and Cheez Its into bags that could be used. And when I say massive, I mean massive. The bags of Fruit Loops were 800 pounds and were about 10 feet tall while the box of Cheez Its was at least 5 feet tall, wide, and long. Our group formed an assembly line and portioned them into smaller bags that could be used by individual families. This organization is totally run by volunteers, so we were able to help them out a lot. We also had a crew that helped sort through boxes and organize their extra storage area. Our group loved serving there, and many are talking about going back to serve on their own!
COLLEGE AGE TRIP - January 2-5, 2019 - From January 2-5, 2019, a group of 10 people ages 18-25 went from Liberty Chapel to Louisville, KY for the CROSS conference. This conference was put on by David Platt and focused on our call to take the Gospel to all nations. In our 4 days we spent most of our time hearing from great speakers as they walked through the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. Obviously they didn't cover everything, but focused on how God's plan of redeeming his people from every tribe, nation, and tongue is present throughout all of scripture. We learned a lot from the different speakers and had a great time hanging out and experiencing a new city. All of the sessions, as well as a recap video, can be found at crossforthenations.org.
DECEMBER EVENTS - On December 2nd our youth went to the Lutheran Home to spend time with the senior citizens. On December 12th we went Christmas Caroling to the homes of senior citizens in our congregation. On December 19th we had a Christmas party! We had a ton of fun as over 30 students played reverse charades, the saran wrap ball game, and more! Many students brought their friends and they got to clearly hear the Gospel, some possibly for the first time! On December 21st, we had our 4th annual Senior High lock in. We had a lip sync contest and stayed up all night playing games. It was a blast for those who were able to make it, and we even had some alumni come back to join us for a few hours and to share about following Christ in college!
WORK DAY - In September the youth spent a day at Camp Widewater working. They reorganized an entire shed, cleaned a whole garden, and built most of a green house!
FALL KICKOFF EVENT - On August 30, 2018 we had our youth kickoff event. We played 9 Square in the air and slip n slide kickball. This was a great way to kick off our year!
2017-18 Youth Events
JUNIOR HIGH MISSION TRIP - June 25-27 - Our Jr High mission trip was from June 25-27 in Indianapolis, IN. We stayed and partnered with the Shepherd Community Center. This organization has been working to break the cycle of poverty through a Christ centered approach since 1985. They work with kids and families to do this by meeting physical, spiritual, emotional, and academic needs of their neighbors.
SENIOR HIGH MISSION TRIP - June 9-15
The Sr High mission trip was from June 9-15. We went to Chattanooga, TN. We served with YouthWorks, an organization that partners with a bunch of different organizations. We coordinated with a variety of organizations that are already making an impact in the community. We helped them to meet needs that they don't have the staffing to do. We went with servant's hearts and willing to do whatever they need.
SKY ZONE TRIP - The youth had a fun afternoon at Sky Zone on Sunday, March 11, 2018. Earlier in the day they had served a meal at church as a part of the Inspire weekend renewal as a fund raiser for their upcoming mission trip. We spent the weekend learning about the Holy Spirit and then ended it on Sunday with a really fun trip to Sky Zone! Dodge ball, dunking, and trampolines were the theme of the evening.We had a record number of youth participate today. See the pictures below. More are posted in the Firestarters Facebook page.
WINTER JAM - On January 20, 2018, we went to Winter Jam in the Schott at OSU's campus. For $15 we got to see a comedian, 7 different concerts (headlined by Skillet), and hear a powerful speaker.
DECEMBER EVENTS - December was a month chalk-full of great events. On December 6th the Sr. High group went caroling to some elderly people in our congregation. The following week, December 13th, we had our Christmas party at youth group. We had a snowman decoration game, an ugly sweater contest, and a saran wrap ball full of prizes. We then had a Sr. High Lock in on December 15th/16th, featuring our annual lip sync contest. We played tons of games, worshiped together, dug into God's Word, and had an all-around amazing (and exhausting) time. Our final event of December took place on the 20th when we took the Jr. High group ice skating. We drove over to B.G. ice arena and had a good time skating and then eating pizza.
YOUTH CONCERT - On November 17, 2017 the youth group went to a concert at the Huntington Center called Big Church Night Out. This was a great night worshiping with some amazing bands and people from all over the Toledo area. This exciting event was headlined by the Newsboys.
CORN MAZE - On October 22, 2017 we went to the corn maze. This even was a ton of fun! We went on hay rides, played tug of war, went through the corn maze, and some brave souls even went through the haunted maze!
FIELDS OF FAITH - On October 11, 2017 The Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) put on an event called Fields of Faith. With the intent of being out on a field, the weather didn't cooperate so we were inside Wauseon's high school gym. Students were given a white flag to waive in surrender of Jesus' will for their lives. They were challenged by other student speakers to live out their faith. It was really cool to gather on a Wednesday with youth groups from all over the area.
SECOND SUNDAY SERVE - On September 10, 2017 we did our first Second Sunday Serve. These service projects took place on the second Sunday of every month. These took place all the way through December, and included staining benches for the youth room, cleaning The Rock, volunteering at the Lutheran Home, and doing random acts of kindness for people.
WATER WARZ - On August 23, 2017 we had our youth kickoff event, Water Warz. We had a bunch of water related games highlighted by slip n slide kickball. This was a great way to kick off our year!
SENIOR HIGH MISSION TRIP - June 9-15
The Sr High mission trip was from June 9-15. We went to Chattanooga, TN. We served with YouthWorks, an organization that partners with a bunch of different organizations. We coordinated with a variety of organizations that are already making an impact in the community. We helped them to meet needs that they don't have the staffing to do. We went with servant's hearts and willing to do whatever they need.
SKY ZONE TRIP - The youth had a fun afternoon at Sky Zone on Sunday, March 11, 2018. Earlier in the day they had served a meal at church as a part of the Inspire weekend renewal as a fund raiser for their upcoming mission trip. We spent the weekend learning about the Holy Spirit and then ended it on Sunday with a really fun trip to Sky Zone! Dodge ball, dunking, and trampolines were the theme of the evening.We had a record number of youth participate today. See the pictures below. More are posted in the Firestarters Facebook page.
WINTER JAM - On January 20, 2018, we went to Winter Jam in the Schott at OSU's campus. For $15 we got to see a comedian, 7 different concerts (headlined by Skillet), and hear a powerful speaker.
DECEMBER EVENTS - December was a month chalk-full of great events. On December 6th the Sr. High group went caroling to some elderly people in our congregation. The following week, December 13th, we had our Christmas party at youth group. We had a snowman decoration game, an ugly sweater contest, and a saran wrap ball full of prizes. We then had a Sr. High Lock in on December 15th/16th, featuring our annual lip sync contest. We played tons of games, worshiped together, dug into God's Word, and had an all-around amazing (and exhausting) time. Our final event of December took place on the 20th when we took the Jr. High group ice skating. We drove over to B.G. ice arena and had a good time skating and then eating pizza.
YOUTH CONCERT - On November 17, 2017 the youth group went to a concert at the Huntington Center called Big Church Night Out. This was a great night worshiping with some amazing bands and people from all over the Toledo area. This exciting event was headlined by the Newsboys.
CORN MAZE - On October 22, 2017 we went to the corn maze. This even was a ton of fun! We went on hay rides, played tug of war, went through the corn maze, and some brave souls even went through the haunted maze!
FIELDS OF FAITH - On October 11, 2017 The Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) put on an event called Fields of Faith. With the intent of being out on a field, the weather didn't cooperate so we were inside Wauseon's high school gym. Students were given a white flag to waive in surrender of Jesus' will for their lives. They were challenged by other student speakers to live out their faith. It was really cool to gather on a Wednesday with youth groups from all over the area.
SECOND SUNDAY SERVE - On September 10, 2017 we did our first Second Sunday Serve. These service projects took place on the second Sunday of every month. These took place all the way through December, and included staining benches for the youth room, cleaning The Rock, volunteering at the Lutheran Home, and doing random acts of kindness for people.
WATER WARZ - On August 23, 2017 we had our youth kickoff event, Water Warz. We had a bunch of water related games highlighted by slip n slide kickball. This was a great way to kick off our year!
2016-2017 Youth Events
MISSION TRIP - June 11-16, 2017
The senior high youth group will be going to Birmingham, Alabama for their mission trip this year. We will be working with the organization, "YouthWorks", to help with the needs in the local community. We have 20 youth signed up to go and will be doing fund raising to cover expenses. Our first event will be a spagetti dinner after church on January 29th. We are also doing a "dime bottle" collection project. Let's see how many dimes will fill a water bottle. Turn in your bottle when it is done.
The senior high youth group will be going to Birmingham, Alabama for their mission trip this year. We will be working with the organization, "YouthWorks", to help with the needs in the local community. We have 20 youth signed up to go and will be doing fund raising to cover expenses. Our first event will be a spagetti dinner after church on January 29th. We are also doing a "dime bottle" collection project. Let's see how many dimes will fill a water bottle. Turn in your bottle when it is done.
COLLEGE STUDENTS - PASSION TRIP - January 2-4, 2017
The college students are going to Passion in January. We have 13 people from our church attending to learn more about God's love for us from some of the best speakers in our nation. This is the largest event in the U.S. specifically designed for college students. It will be in the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia.
The college students are going to Passion in January. We have 13 people from our church attending to learn more about God's love for us from some of the best speakers in our nation. This is the largest event in the U.S. specifically designed for college students. It will be in the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia.
SENIOR HIGH LOCK IN - December 30 & 31
The senior high group had its annual lock in at the church to celebrate the new year. We played tons of games, including grog, sardines, capture the flag, kick the can, and a lot more! We had an awesome lip sync contest where students gave their all to win the second annual golden record. Shoutout to Maddy Diemer and Emma Bowers for their victory! We also spent a lot of time in worship. We spent time singing, learning about Jesus' love for us, reflecting on our own, and discussing in small groups. After sharing a message on God's love, we gave students a chance to respond. Students wrote something down on a sticky note and put it on the cross. A few of the things said were: "I gave my life to God.""Stop thinking I am worthless and not needed." "I want to give up my ego and dedicate everything I do to Jesus and realize how much he does for me." God is changing lives at these events and that is pretty awesome!
The senior high group had its annual lock in at the church to celebrate the new year. We played tons of games, including grog, sardines, capture the flag, kick the can, and a lot more! We had an awesome lip sync contest where students gave their all to win the second annual golden record. Shoutout to Maddy Diemer and Emma Bowers for their victory! We also spent a lot of time in worship. We spent time singing, learning about Jesus' love for us, reflecting on our own, and discussing in small groups. After sharing a message on God's love, we gave students a chance to respond. Students wrote something down on a sticky note and put it on the cross. A few of the things said were: "I gave my life to God.""Stop thinking I am worthless and not needed." "I want to give up my ego and dedicate everything I do to Jesus and realize how much he does for me." God is changing lives at these events and that is pretty awesome!
JUNIOR HIGH SKATING - December 28
The junior high youth group went to Bowling Green for ice skating on the 28th and then returned to the church for fun filled games. Below are some pictures.
The junior high youth group went to Bowling Green for ice skating on the 28th and then returned to the church for fun filled games. Below are some pictures.
CHRISTMAS PARTY - December
Our youth combined for the annual Christmas party at the church. We had games, contests, and Christian fellowship. We had a lot of competition for the ugly sweater contest! Below are some pictures.
Our youth combined for the annual Christmas party at the church. We had games, contests, and Christian fellowship. We had a lot of competition for the ugly sweater contest! Below are some pictures.
CORN MAZE - October 23
The junior high and senior high groups combined for a day at Leader's Farm for the corn maze and other activites in October. Below are some pictures.
The junior high and senior high groups combined for a day at Leader's Farm for the corn maze and other activites in October. Below are some pictures.
YOUTH AUGUST EVENT
We had a fun water filled event to end the summer and kick off youth activities this year. Buckets, hoses, water slides and water! Lots of fun!
We had a fun water filled event to end the summer and kick off youth activities this year. Buckets, hoses, water slides and water! Lots of fun!
